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ImmuBoost Ewe and Lamb – Nurturing a Passion for Sheep Production

ImmuBoost Ewe and Lamb – Nurturing a Passion for Sheep Production

Sheep production is like most other sectors of agriculture at the present time: for those flock owners prepared to invest in their business and commit accordingly, there is a more than acceptable margin to be made. However, in the case of Charlie Clarke, who farms at Mullaghrafferty – near Carrickmacross in Co Monaghan– sheep are his passion, one he wants to share with everyone who joins his company. Even the briefest of visits to the farm is sufficient to drive home the reality that Charlie is more than committed to his sheep enterprise. The centrepiece of his operation is a specifically built shed, designed to meet every requirements of ewes and their owner throughout the lambing season.

“I was the driver behind the introduction of breeding sheep to this farm” Charlie explained.

“And from day one, I knew that it was essential to have the facilities required to allow me meet the highest possible flock management standards.”

He continued:

“Yes there is money in sheep at the present time. But there is absolutely no room for complacency.”

Charlie runs a 100 strong flock of high quality Texels in tandem with 600 commercial ewes. An 80-strong herd of Spring calving suckler cows complete the enterprise mix on the farm. All calves born on thre farm are brought through to finishing weights.

The late winter and spring months constitute a very busy period for Charlie, who combines his farming interests with his role as co-ordinator of the Monaghan Lamb Producer Group. The beginning of February marks the start of the Texel lambing season, which is followed by the challenge of calving the cows throughout the February/March period,. The commercial ewe flock lamb in May.

“The Texels are all bred through the use of AI,” Charlie continued.

“However, my aim for both flocks is to produce large numbers of high quality, saleable lambs.”

Charlie went on to point out that the projected lambing percentage across all flocks this year is 180 per cent.

CAHL’s John Cumiskey, who recently visited the Clarke farm with Alltech’s John Lawlor, confirmed that this is as good as it gets from a sheep fertility point of view.

“The real challenge now is to ensure that all of this potential is converted into the maximum number of healthy lambs on the ground come the end of May,” John continued.

In this regard both Charlie and John recognise the absolute importance of ensuring that breeding ewes receive complete gamut of minerals and additional energy they need in the weeks directly prior to lambing. ImmuBoost Ewe and Lamb is part of the tried and trusted ImmuBoost Range from Nutribio.

“This product is a complementary molassed feed block designed to boost both the animal’s immune system and health status, leading to increased profitability for the farmer,” John explained.

John Lawlor took up the story

“ImmuBoost Ewe and Lamb contains high levels of vitamins and minerals including, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Cobalt, Iodine, Manganese, Zinc, Selenium, Vitamins A,D3, E and B vitamins. The block also contains a highly digestible form of protein in addition to a key ingredient known as Bio-MosTM , a prebiotic which has been scientifically proven to boost animals’ immune systems.”

It has been widely confirmed on sheep farms throughout Ireland that the use of ImmuBoost Ewe and Lamb supports the immunity development of both the ewe and her unborn lambs, while also promoting easier lambing.

The product also contributes to the production of good quality colostrum and heavier lamb weight gain. ImmuBoost Ewe and Lamb also acts to increases disease resistance, feed efficiency and animal performance. It reduces stress associated with feeding time for both animal and farmer. ImmuBoost Ewe and Lamb can eliminate the requirement for concentrates, depending on quality of silage and number of births a point taken up by Charlie Clarke.

“My ewes do not get any supplementary feeding prior to lambing at all. I want to ensure that lambing difficulties are minimised while, at the same time, ensuring that the new borns have plenty of life. If this can be achieved it is a straightforward process to feed heavily after lambing in order to maximise the ewes’ milk yield,” Charlie continued.

He concluded:

“I have been using the ImmuBoost Ewe and Lamb buckets for a number of years and I have found them to be a very valuable way of ensuring that ewe and lamb vitality are both maximised I would endorse their use to all flock owners.